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Premier League teams will need to have a little more financial literacy when football returns.
England’s high-flying clubs have a history of spotting bargains despite their reputation as big spenders.
That is in part due to the one and only Jean-Marc Bosman, who set a precedent for free transfers in 1995 and changed the game forever.
Players signed at the end of their contracts with another club may be seen as undesirable, but in reality, they often represent the biggest bargains and still have a lot to offer.
GIVEMESPORT has taken a look at some of the most successful Premier League history books.
Note: We didn’t count Teemu Pukki or Tom Heaton, for example, because they were signed by Norwich and Burnley, respectively, when they were still in the Championship.
Here is information on 30 of the best.
30. Vicente Guaita | crystal Palace
Guaita has established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper for Crystal Palace and earlier this season was named man of the match three times in four games.
29. Esteban Cambiasso | Leicester
Newly promoted Leicester could not believe his luck when he signed with the legendary Cambiasso, who had won five Serie A titles with Inter Milan and La Liga with Real Madrid. The Argentine played 31 times in his only season in England.
28. Pablo Zabaleta | West ham
Although Zabaleta no longer has his rhythm, the fullback is still a useful asset at West Ham and he is now in his third season with the club.
27. Gareth Barry | Everton
Admittedly, Barry’s best days were behind him when he joined Everton. However, he had done enough during his Manchester City loan period to make the move to Goodison Park permanent and they got good value from him when the midfielder made 99 appearances.
26. Kolo Toure | Liverpool
It is unfortunate that Toure was such a comical figure because it often means that he was not taken seriously. Although he made mistakes, the Ivorian brought some composure to the Liverpool defense when he got there in 2013.
25. Sead Kolasinac | Arsenal
It is true that Kolasinac has been erratic at Arsenal, but who has not done so in that defense? The full-back has shown signs of promise and was enjoying another revival under Mikel Arteta before his injury.
24. Fabio Aurelio | Liverpool
Aurelio consolidated a place when Liverpool’s left back. Unfortunately, he was unlucky with injuries that limited his time at Merseyside.
23. Crystal Palace | Mile Jedinak
The Australian was an unknown quantity when he came from Turkey, but he became captain of the palace and played 165 times for the Eagles.
22. Craig Bellamy | Liverpool
Arguably, Bellamy was more troublesome than she was worth, her first spell at Anfield probably best remembered for that golf club incident involving John Arne Riise. However, their return in 2011 cost them nothing and they scored another six goals with Kenny Dalglish.
21. Didier Drogba | Chelsea
Of course, we are talking about Drogba’s second spell, when he only scored four goals, but he was welcomed by a hero and brought his title-winning experience to the 2014/15 side that would emerge victorious once again under José Mourinho.
20. Samuel Eto’o | Chelsea
Eto’o at Chelsea was the definition of short but sweet. The legendary striker scored nine goals, including some great derbies against Tottenham and Arsenal.
19. Joel Matip | Liverpool
Although limited by the appearance of Joe Gómez, Matip has been a solid addition to Liverpool’s defense, joining Schalke in 2016.
18. Villa Aston | Thomas Hitzlsperger
Hitzlsperger, one of the best left feet in Premier League history, took the time to adjust, but then recovered when Aston Villa made it to the top six with David O’Leary.
17. Brad Friedel | Tottenham
Friedel became the Spurs’ first goalkeeper after impressing Aston Villa. The American was still a useful butt despite his spell with the Spurs reaching the end of his career.
17. Bacary Sagna | City man
As a cunning transfer to Arsenal, Sagna was not part of one of the City’s great teams, but he was there to carry out major rebuilding campaigns and played 54 league games overall.
16. Josh King | Bournemouth
A classic example of a striker who didn’t make it to Manchester United, but who is good enough elsewhere. King is reaching half a century of Premier League goals.
15. Gianluca Vialli | Chelsea
Vialli was an exciting signing, even if he was no longer at his best when he arrived at Chelsea. He won an FA Cup, League Cup, and a Cup Winners’ Cup, although he also had fights with manager Ruud Gullit. More on him later.
14. Gary McAllister | Liverpool
Despite being in his thirties when he joined Liverpool, McAllister was a key part of his 2000/01 triple-winning team.
13. Mathieu Flamini | Arsenal
Arsenal managed to catch Flamini for free twice. The trusty midfielder won two FA Cups with the Gunners and spent a total of seven years in North London.
12. Everton | Alan Stubbs
Evertonian, Stubbs’ dreams came true after beating cancer and signing for the Toffees. The central defender was at the center of his defense in the early days of the David Moyes era.
11. Mario Melchiot | Chelsea
Melchiot took a bit of time to settle in west London before the winger established himself as one of the most important players of the pre-Abramovich era.
10. Demba Ba | Newcastle
After seven goals in 12 games at West Ham, Newcastle caught him quickly and saw him form a formidable partnership with Papiss Cisse, before Chelsea made their move.
9. Jay-Jay Okocha | Bolton Wanderers
“So good they named him twice,” as Bolton fans used to say. A PSG deal signed the summer after the 2002 World Cup, Okocha gained cult status with his panache at JJB.
8. Christian Fuchs | Leicester
Fuchs was part of the Leicester miracle in its first season and has been pretty solid ever since. The full-back has now made more than 100 appearances for the Foxes, albeit on a reduced role in the past 18 months or so.
7. Marc Albrighton | Leicester City
Albrighton may not be the most glamorous midfielder, but Leicester couldn’t have predicted what he would accomplish at King Power when they brought him in 2014, before his return to the top flight. Since then, he has made 164 appearances and won the league.
6. Gus Poyet | Chelsea
Poyet came from Real Zaragoza and quickly became a legend at Chelsea, where he scored 36 goals in 105 games.
5. Michael Ballack | Chelsea
Ballack was instrumental in that 2009/10 great Chelsea team and earned five major honors overall after leaving Bayer Leverkusen. The Blues were particularly fortunate to have him when he turned down the reported interest of Real Madrid and Manchester United.
4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Manchester united
A double cross tear sadly ruined what might have been an even more goal-charged spell. Ibrahimovic came from PSG and was one of the bright lights of the José Mourinho era at Old Trafford, scoring 17 goals in the 2016/17 season.
3. James Milner | Liverpool
Acquired as the Manchester City title winner, Milner is now a European champion and is likely to help Liverpool claim their first title in three decades soon. He has been exceptionally reliable, not to mention versatility, having spent a season completing on the left side.
2. Ruud Gullit | Chelsea
Gullit only became Footballer of the Year for Eric Cantona when he brought his Total Football brand to Stamford Bridge. His newly discovered ties would also be helpful when he was named manager.
1. Sol Campbell | Arsenal
Campbell’s decision to move from Tottenham to Arsenal caused possibly the most controversial transfer in Premier League history. It turned out to be the correct one, since the England international won twice and became one of the best central defenders in the history of the top flight. Yes, it did not go down too fine with his old fans …
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